Medical cases and speculations : including parts IV. and V. of Considerations on the medicinal powers, and the production of factitious airs / by Thomas Beddoes, M.D. and James Watt.

  • Beddoes, Thomas, 1760-1808.
Date:
1796
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical cases and speculations : including parts IV. and V. of Considerations on the medicinal powers, and the production of factitious airs / by Thomas Beddoes, M.D. and James Watt. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

    189/323 (page 166)
    Smylh, a careful trial of the fumes of nitric acid, copi- oufly raifed by fulfuric acid, took place on board the Union hofpital fhip {Dr. Smyth's Account of the Exp, Johnfort, 1796.)- The managers of the experiment were ftruck, not merely with the defltuctiou of the offenfive fmell arifing from the crowded fick, but with the change in the courfe of the difeafe. Mr. M^nzies fays, As. none of the Tick, who have been brought to the Hofpital fince my arrival, have died, it would feem that the fumigation has not only leflened the danger of infection, but alfo the malignity of the difeafe. p. 19. Mr. BafTan, the furgeon of the fhip, afTerts, that the fvmptoms are much meliorated. I believe, he adds. that the fumigation has been of great fervice to the Jick (p. 24.) For this operation, it appears from the report, that neither of thefe gentlemen were looking ; and Dr. Smyth fays, that the vapour of the nitrous acid fhould be found to deftroy an offenfive fmell, the effect of animal exhalations, I was not furprifed at, having myfelf had repeated experience of the fact; but, that it would alfo render the air purer, aud more proper for refpiration, I was by no means certain. until I found the repeated obfervations of thefe gen- tlemen confirmed by the evidence of Mr. Keir. CP-<5>) No oxygene gas is extricated during the diflillation of marine acid ; nor does marine acid gas fhew any of the eminent effects of oxygene., In the diflillation of nitric acid, oxygen gas is extricated ; and nitric acid gas fliews eminently the effects of oxygen. The fumigations, there- fore* in which oxygene gas and analogous vapours were extricated